Following Lewis Hamilton’s impeding of Max Verstappen during the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, the two drivers were spotted shaking hands as the Ferrari driver offered an immediate apology. With the photo being shared to social media, this moment of sportsmanship received widespread praise.
Hamilton has since received a three-place grid penalty after he was given incorrect information from his team. With the Red Bull driver on a push lap, Hamilton was incorrectly told that he was instead slowing. This urged the Scuderia driver to accelerate his car inadvertently into the path of Verstappen who had to take evasive action and abort his lap.
The Dutchman communicated his adrenaline-fueled annoyance to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase down the radio. At the same time, Hamilton was equally as irritated by the error.
Following qualifying, where Max qualified fifth and Lewis fourth (fourth and seventh respectively with the penalty applied), Verstappen was quick to note it wasn’t Hamilton’s fault.
“Of course at the time you see the car blocking you and when you’re there at high speed, it’s not nice,” he admitted to Sky Sports. “But then I saw immediately that the team told him that I was driving slow, while I was clearly driving fast.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
“So it’s not Lewis’ fault. I quickly chatted to Lewis already about it. It’s very simple, but of course it can’t happen. But that’s the team’s mistake.”
Fans were quick to respond to the two drivers’ exchange, especially after they witnessed the intense rivalry between the two during the 2021 season.
“Two real gentlemen,” one commenter wrote on Motorsport’s Instagram post. “Brilliant two goats respecting each other knowing it was a radio error and not a driver mistake,” another added, with a third noting: “Shows that their championship rivalry is purely a professional one and not a personal matter.”
Netflix’s Drive to Survive was unsurprisingly mentioned by one fan who joked: “Netflix will turn this to a full-blown argument.”
The mutual respect between these drivers is a lovely thing to see, and was further highlighted by Verstappen ahead of the Miami Grand Prix as he recognised Hamilton’s keen work ethic.
“You see that, by the way?” he asked the camera. “Seven-time World Champion, four-time World Champion – the first in.”
This is simply a reminder that what happens on-track very rarely mirrors what goes on off-track.
